Computer mouses are well known in the computer accessory industry. Indeed, there have been many different mouse designs disclosed in industry literature and in the marketplace. One goal of the industry has been to make a mouse that is comfortable for the user. Thus, several ergonomic-type mouses have been designed. For example, there have been mouses that are designed in the shape of the user""s hand, mouses that are designed to support both the wrist and the palm, and mouses that have foam pads to make them softer. However, there has never been a mouse that uses a gel layer for supporting the user""s palm. A gel is visco-elastic solid exhibiting the properties of both a spring and a dampener. It is illustrated mechanically by connecting the symbol for a spring with that of a dashpot.
When utilized as a filler material, the gel provides cushion, comfort, support, and protection (attenuation of shock and vibration) in a manner different than traditional fillers.
Foam, for example, provides support by compression. A cellular material, the foam is mostly air or entrapped generation gas having relatively low density. The common polyurethane, highly resilient foam is an open cell structure. There are any number of rubber, neoprene, butyl, vinyl nitrile and EPDM foams that are closed cell, with blowing gas (typically CO2) entrapped and providing additional suspension for the structure. Compressing foam deforms the cell walls and movers (in the case of open cell foam) or compresses (in the case of closed cell foam) entrapped gas.
Fiber fillers provide loft and cushioning by the natural resilience of their fibrous structures and the entrapment of air. The effect is similar to the compression of foam.
Gel is unique. A solid gel cannot be compressed. What provides the feeling of softness is elasticity, i.e., very low modulus. Gel provides support by displacement. Based upon the physical properties of the gel, the initial pressure required to begin displacement can be very low, with a progressive resistance that increases with the application of additional pressure. In that way gel can provide comfort while resisting compression or bottoming in ways that foams cannot.
When you overcome the elasticity of the gel material, you move it. This is an advantage in that as the gel is displaced, the contact area increases, helping to maintain low contact pressure.
Another advantage of gel is that it imitates the feel of natural tissue. The hydraulic softness of the gel emulates contact with something living, making gel feel comfortable and xe2x80x9cfriendlyxe2x80x9d. Other advantages are:
Gel provides support by displacement as opposed to compression. Increasing contact area assures comfort as pressure is increased.
The low modulus of gel makes it a superior shock and vibration dampening material.
Polyurethane is highly crosslinked, making polyurethane gel a good progressive cushion, that resists bottoming.
Gel has xe2x80x9ctissue likexe2x80x9d appeal, making it a preferred feel.
Thus, gel layers make a much softer, more comfortable palm rest than foams or other materials known and used in the prior art.
It is a principal objective of the present invention to provide an ergonomic mouse having a gel layer for supporting the user""s palm.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an ergonomic mouse having a gel layer that has a soft feel that is softer, compressible and has more flex than prior art mouses.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an ergonomic mouse having a gel layer that was formed from a liquid gel.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an ergonomic mouse having an elastomerse layer that was formed using injection molding.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be further understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention.